June 8, 2017

Image credit: secretlondon123

“The endless cuts made by the Conservative government can't go on”

I'll be voting for Labour in the election. There are two reasons for this: first, I think Daniel Zeichner has been a great MP for Cambridge and has not ignored local issues in his campaign in favour of spouting a party line. Cambridge voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining in the EU, and despite Labour's pledges to commit to Brexit, Daniel Zeichner has restated his commitment to the representing the views of the constituency. He has also laid out policies which matter to locals (like cuts to transport fares), and to students (like scrapping or lowering tuition fees).

Second, this seat is a marginal Lib Dem-Labour seat. I actually like quite a lot of Lib Dem policies, but the endless cuts made by the Conservative government can't go on, and a strong opposition party is needed. I do still have some reservations about Labour; Corbyn dealt pretty pathetically with the anti-Semitism concerns raised about the party, for example. However, I think the strong focus on welfare and healthcare during the campaign is the right way to go, and raising corporate tax instead of taking from the poorest is not just morally right it's also more economically viable. Essentially, I want the Conservative stronghold to be as weak as possible— and I think a strong Labour opposition is the best way of doing this so that the most vulnerable people will have more protection from austerity.

Kate Bagger, Pembroke

“Julian Huppert has campaigned tirelessly to represent the pro-Europe voice of Cambridge”

In Cambridge, we are faced with a stark choice between the Liberal Democrat candidate Julian Huppert and the Labour incumbent. While Cambridge Labour seem committed to using this election to smear the Lib Dems, they don’t need my help in displaying their own political ineffectiveness. Labour’s record since the last election speaks for itself; large-scale abstention on key votes such as the Tories’ Welfare Bill and Snoopers’ Charter, near-constant accusations of anti-Semitism within the party, and going so far as to vote with the Conservatives to trigger Article 50 unamended. This is not a party that represents what the people of Cambridge believe in.

Thankfully, we have an alternative. Since the day Cambridge’s Labour MP voted in favour of a referendum on our membership of the EU, Julian Huppert has campaigned tirelessly to represent the pro-Europe voice of Cambridge, without shying away from embracing free movement and calling on the government to welcome more refugees to the UK. His scientific background has a profound and valuable contribution to policy – reflected in his dedication to achieving parity for mental health care and in his expertise in approaching sensible drug legalisation policy. And, of course, he is passionately liberal – supporting a more proportional voting system and pledging increased funding for schools to improve social mobility in Britain.

According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, the poorest in our country will lose twice as much under Labour, and three times as much under the Tories, as they would under the Liberal Democrats. By voting Lib Dem, we can change Britain’s future. We can build more houses, we can invest sustainably in the NHS, and we can create a more equal society. We are the party that represents what the people of Cambridge believe in. If you agree, please support us with your vote today.

Amy Stuart, Newnham

“I have never voted Labour with such hope and conviction than under Jeremy Corbyn”

Like for many young people, voting Labour is virtually instinctive for me as it is the only major party with young and working class peoples' interests at the core of its values. However, I have never voted Labour with such hope and conviction than under Jeremy Corbyn as he has reconnected the party with its socialist roots that put the people of the UK and our needs at the centre of his campaign rather than the affluent.

Now is a particularly crucial time for Labour to re-enter government, whether or not in a coalition, as the UK enters Brexit negotiations and the future of the National Health Service hangs in the balance. Theresa May thought that she could take our unwavering support for granted and whatever happens on 8th June she will have been proven wrong.

Joanna Taylor, Pembroke

“[The Conservative policies] are the best economically amongst the alternatives”

For this election in particular I really like the Conservative policies for education— at the moment most grammar schools are only in middle-class areas so social mobility will be improved if we reopen grammar schools in disadvantaged areas where pupils will benefit from it most. The only good schools in my area were the grammar schools in the next borough over but they told me that I was too far outside the catchment area, so that was tough for me personally. I also really like their policy on having 'T-levels' since there's a real stigma around pursuing the things you excel at if they happen to be vocational instead of academic. There are lots of reasons though - generally I think they're the best economically amongst the alternatives and I've been really happy with the Conservative government so far, so it wasn't a hard decision for me. #StrongAndStable